The Subaru Impreza WRX is often touted as Subaru's first performance rally machine sold in the US, but they actually introduced an earlier rally special edition on the Leone chassis. It was simply called the RX, and featured all-wheel-drive, a flat-4 turbocharged engine, a 5-speed manual gearbox and custom body cladding/wing. It doesn't get much more classic Subaru rally than that! Find this 1987 Subaru RX offered for $2,000 in Dublin, CA via craigslist.
The 3-door RX was sold in limited quantities, only 2600 made it the the US according some various unsavory internet sources. The EA-82T was good for 118 horsepower and 134 ft-lbs of torque...which might explain by nobody bought one. Rebuilding the current engine won't be too expensive, but the flat layout makes pulling the engine a requirement for any major work.
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This is sweet. These are the most 80's wheels ever made.
ReplyDeleteEngine swap.
ReplyDelete"Blew head gasket when at repair shop" sounds an awful lot to me like the shop cocked up a timing belt install and bent some valves. Reference: I had a buddy with a ~2002 WRX that had a shop owe him an engine for the same reason.
ReplyDeleteHow was it possible to extract such a low amount of horsepower from a 1.8 turbo?
One of my first cars was the 2 wheel drive version of this. Same color ... ahh the memories
ReplyDeleteOne of these RXs turned wheels in anger at this past weekend's 24 Hours of LeMons Thunderhill race. It was one of the slowest "modern" cars out there (not counting a Peugeot 404, Mini Moke, diesel powered 911, and Rover SD1). Slow, but looked awesome. Maybe that should be my new motto.
ReplyDelete4th pic down in Judge Phil/Murilee Martin's hoopty inspection report